Flush ball guide



Jan. 26, 1954 w, SCHNEPP 2,666,929

FLUSH BALL GUIDE Filed May 21 1951 INVENTOR. HNPP ATTQRNEy.

Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE FLUSH BALL GUIDE Louis W. Schnepp, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application May 21, 1951, Serial No. 227,389

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to a flush ball guide of the particular type disclosed in my copending application for patent filed March 13, 1951, Serial Number 215,278 on Flush Ball Guides and the principal object of the present invention, is to generally improve upon the construction of the ball guide disclosed in the aforesaid application for patent and more particularly, to provide the ball valve pull rod, with a resilient bearing which eliminates practically all friction during normal operations and enables the flushing action to take place easily, positively and with minimum noise.

This application should be read in connection with the specification forming part of the application above identified.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved flush valve guide;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a modified form of the resilient member which forms a guide for the pull rod of the flush valve.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, it designates the tank, I I the outlet therefrom, said outlet being provided at its upper end with a seat l2 for the ball valve M of conventional shape, and provided at its lower end with the usual opening l5. This ball valve normally rests on seat I2 to close outlet i i.

Mounted for vertical adjustment on the overflow pipe l6 and arranged directly above outlet li and the ball valve M, is a cylinder ll open at both ends and slightly larger than said ball valve.

Secured to the wall of this cylinder is a horizontally disposed clip it, which is clamped upon the overflow pipe it, and secured in such position by means of a clamping screw l3.

Thus, cylinder l? is to be adjustably secured on the overflow pipe. Suitably secured to the upper edge of cylinder ii, on the side opposite from overflow pipe 56, is a short upwardly and inwardly projecting finger 28 which serves in part, to limit the upward movement of the ball valve i i in the cylinder ll.

Secured to the upper edge of cylinder ll, opposite finger, is the lower end of a clip 2! in the upper end of which is secured the lower end of 2 a coil spring 22 of fairly small wire, which projects upwardly and inwardly toward a line drawn through the center of ball valve i4 and the cylinder ll.

Secured to the upper end of this wire coil is a clip 23, having a horizontal upper end in which is formed an aperture 26, and the pull rod 25 of the ball valve passes, with a fairly loose fit, through this aperture. Connected to the upper end of said rod is the lower end of a rod 26, or chain, which is actuated by the trip lever of the tank assembly with which the device is associated.

In operation, ball valve Hi rests on its seat l2 thereby closing the outlet H and when rod 25 is lifted by the trip lever, the ball valve i l will be lifted from its seat to permit discharge of water from the tank into outlet ll.

During this elevating movement of the ball valve, same is protected against turbulence of the out-going water and the coil 22 will give readily, to any lateral pressures which may be developed by said ball valve. Ball valve rests on the water until the level thereof reaches a point slightly below cylinder 1 l and slightly above seat I2, whereupon the suction of the water acts upon the ball to quickly draw or snap same onto its seat, thereby cutting off further flow of water from the tank.

By adjustment of the cylinder ill on the overflow pipe I6, the quick closing action of the ball valve may be very accurately regulated.

The modified form of the support for the pull rod seen in Fig. 3 comprises a tube 2?? of resilient plastic or other rubber like substance, the ends of which are pressed together and perforated as designated by 29 to receive an attaching screw and to serve as a bearing for pull rod 25.

Due to the flexibility of the member 22 or El, same may be flexed outward as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, so as to permit the ball valve to be removed from cylinder ll.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a flush valve ball guide which is simple in structure, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

Minor changes in the size, form and construction of my improved flush valve guide may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

The combination with a flush tank, its outlet pipe, its overflow pipe, a ball valve which closes 4 said outlet pipe and a pull rod attached to the References Cited in the file of this patent upper end of said hall, of an open ended eylinder UNITED STATES PATENTS mounted for vertical ad ustment on send overflow pipe above said outlet pipe and said ball Number Name Date valve, a flexible guide mounted on the upper por- 5 1272091 Qumn July 1918 tion of said cylinder and extending upwardly and 2'130719 Heath sept- 1938 inwardly from the wall of said cylinder and a 21328301 Woodrum Sept 1943 bearing on the upper end of said flexible guide 23401389 Anderson Apr. 2'7, 1948 for Said pun 2,450,609 Phelps Oct. 5, 1948 LOUIS W. SCHNEPP. 10 

